Blog of Web Developer Garry Pilkington

(ASP.Net, C#, AngularJs, JavaScript, HTML5 & UWP)

WebUp is a new website monitoring tool that can also be configured for other endpoints such as web API urls. It is live in the Windows store as a UWP app, which means it can run on mobile, desktop, tablet and Xbox.

Why UWP?

The Microsoft ecosphere for app development, although on the mobile side is way behind both iOS and Android, has huge potential with everybody who runs Windows 10 included no matter what device. Here are some of the reasons I chose to publish on the Windows app store.

Auto updating

Any change I wish to make to the app once gone through certification will auto update on the end users machine leaving them with an always up to date version with no user input. Gone are the days when a new version of an application comes out, you got to go to the site, download and then install it.

No credit card information collected

WebUp is free for a trial of 7 days, but some of the features are locked out until upgraded to the full version. This payment process is entirely handled by Microsoft and although there are payment methods out there such as Stripe, as a developer I don’t need to lift a finger, just specify the price.

Runs across multiple devices

UWP apps are compiled once, but each architecture is included which means once a package is uploaded to the Windows Store, it is available for any Windows 10 device. WebUp gives a great experience on a tablet sized machine, but some users are running it on an Xbox with a massive display and using it as an information radiator. The mobile version is great when you need to whip out your phone and just check the status of your web sites.

User can multi install

The Windows Store allows a single user to install the app on up to 10 devices giving them the freedom to run it in multiple locations on different devices. WebUp can be installed on Xbox for an information radiator but you can also have it running elsewhere in an organisation with a different subset of http end points showing. A manager can also have it on their mobile device connected to the local Wi-Fi giving them satisfaction that everything is running fine.

Don’t need to worry about account management

With more traditional web based monitoring solutions, username and passwords need to be configured to log into the service, with a UWP Windows app, the installation is linked to the Microsoft account of the user so no more little yellow notes with credentials stuck to the monitor.

Can be installed inside enterprise and behind corporate firewall

As the app is installed to the device and not hosted by a third party such as SaaS providers, no holes need to be punched through the firewall if all your http end points are internal.

So those are some of the reasons I opted for UWP, it is early days at the moment, but I am already getting some traction and have other features in mind for the app.